Resident asks: ‘Are you prepared to fight?’

Resident asks: ‘Are you prepared to fight?’

To the editor:

When questioned as to why he changed his mind and subsequently his vote on an issue that he once opposed not so long ago, Councilman Michael Aronowitz of the Woodbury Town Board cited preserving the quality of life as one of the main reasons he voted in favor of the WP3 project, slated to be built along Nininger Road in Woodbury.

This project, when combined with the planned Legacy Ridge development, also in Woodbury, will add 738 homes and in my estimation will bring 1,200 to 1,500 more vehicles to a town already strangled by traffic and to an area that has one of the worst air quality ratings in the state.

That’s not what I would call preserving the quality of life. Not when you consider that the children of our community, while attending the nearby schools and who represent our very future, will be forced to breathe in additional amounts of extremely unhealthy air.

Over the next five to ten years the impact on the environment along with the associated increased health risks will be devastating. With the amount of children contracting asthma and other chronic illnesses due to increases in air pollution at an all time high in this country, it makes his decision to vote in the affirmative all the more disturbing.

With that in mind, I would like to know if his supposed concern extends to all of Woodbury or just a few select areas, The reason I ask is because it has come to my attention that the municipality of Kiryas Joel is already putting together a petition to annex property which they own in Woodbury into their village. This parcel of land lies along Bakertown Road extending west and is very close to where my family and I live. I have already spoken to Town Supervisor John Burke, the lone dissenting vote on the aforementioned projects, about his position in regard to this issue. He assured me that he is prepared to fight annexation in any part of Woodbury for as long as it takes.

So my question to Mr. Aronowitz and the other three Town Board members is: Do you share Mr. Burke’s values and are you prepared to fight to protect the interests of those of us who live in this area and are under the constant threat of properties in close proximity to our homes being annexed into K.J., thus affecting our quality of life? Are you prepared to fight now and in the future for all of the residents along County Road 105 including the Sisters who reside at Bethany Retreat? Are you prepared to fight for the residents of Bakertown Road, Blueberry Lane, Campbell Avenue, Seven Springs Road and anyone else who might be affected by this? Are you prepared to fight annexation no matter what or do you plan to tell us that we’re all expendable?

I would hope that as elected officials you are committed to protecting the sanctity of Woodbury and EVERY citizen who resides within its boundaries.

Bob Reveille

Highland Mills